From May 31 to June 9, Italy hosted the Mitropa Cup 2018 at the beautiful Le Castella Village - Isola Capo Rizzuto (near Crotone, Calabria Region). In the Open section wins Italy, in the Women section wins Germany.

It was an event very well organized by the Italian Chess Federation and appreciated by all the players, trainers and participants.

Open Section1. Italy2. Hungary3. Germany

Women Section1. Germany 2. Austria3. Italy

The Mitropa Cup (often spelled as Mitropacup or Mitropa-Cup) is the annual team chess tournament for national teams from Central Europe. The word Mitropa is a derivative of German Mittel Europa (Central Europe): MITtel euROPA. The idea of the Mitropa Cup came from Gertrude Wagner, who wanted to create a chess team tournament after the example of respective football competition. She, together with her husband Karl and the president of the Austrian Chess Federation Kurt Jungwirth were the founders and organizers of the tournament. The event commenced in 1976: Gertrude will organize the next twenty editons.

This year the teams in the men competition were: Austria, Croatia, Czeсh Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy. The teams in the women competition were: Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy (Hungary and Switzerland will not play in the women group).

The event received the greetings messages from Zurab Azmaiparashvili, ECU president, and from Gianpietro Pagnoncelli, President of the Italian Chess Federation. Both messages were read during the prizegiving ceremony.

One curiosity: Elisabeth Paehtz played 6 games in the women tournament and 2 in the Open.

Photos by Angelo Martorelli and Sergio Pagano, both members of the Italian Chess Federation Board, and by Emilio Bellatalla, director of the event.